Jack Dark Tae Kwon Do Champions

July 29, 2011
       A Memorial Service to honor Grand Master Harold Lee Hankins was held on August 13, 2011 at 5:30 PM, at Tae Kwon Do Champions, 928 Diamond Springs Road, #108 in Virginia Beach, VA.

July 19, 2011
Graveside services were held for Grandmaster Harold Lee Hankins on July 20, 2011 at 2pm, at Roosevelt Memorial Park, 1101 Campostella Road, Chesapeake, VA 23320

Josiah Blount

In honor and memory of the Great Grandmaster Harold Hankins and his great teachings, philosophies, motivation and inspirational words and actions.

August 13, 2011

Grand Master Harold Lee Hankins

Harold Lee Hankins was born February 10, 1938 in Norfolk, Virginia to Thelma Louise Hankins (aka Amatullah Rajeeyah Nuriddin) and Harry McCoy. He graduated in the top of his Booker T. Washington High School class of 1957 while winning many awards and earning a four year scholarship to Lincoln University. He had aspirations of becoming a neurosurgeon.

However, circumstances redirected his life’s path and instead, Hankins’ education was in martial arts, where he studied under top practitioners and world renowned masters. He, along with Leon Nicholson and Gaylord Patterson, opened the first karate school in the city of Norfolk as Kim Studio, at 537 W. 35^th Street on August 16, 1969, under the direct permission of Grandmaster Ki Whang Kim.

Later, the school was renamed The Authentic Karate Club, after the school of another of Hankins’ instructors, Lt. Charles O’Neil’s Authentic Jiu-Jitsu Club. The dynamic karate school was like a Mecca of martial arts, with practitioners and masters from all over coming through its doors. The small school produced a series of champions and black belts who created and changed martial arts history in the area to ensure this great martial arts legacy lives on.

On July 17, 2011, our beloved Grandmaster, “Mister” Hankins, aka Baba, aka Nuriddin, passed from mortality into the realm of immortality. He is survived by his daughter, Amy Hankins, his brother Belden T. King (Alim Rahmaan Nuriddin), and his ex-wife Alfrances “Bebe” Hankins, along with a long list of students who consider him to be their father, brother, teacher, and/or friend.

BULALA!!!